[Rhodes22-list] dinghy selection

[Mike Riter]

Hey Jesse. I might be weighing here after you’ve already made up your mind,
but I kinda went through the same scenario when figuring out our boat to
shore needs. I ended up going with the Mariner 4 inflatable. I wanted
something big enough for my wife and I plus our golden retriever. It came
with a set of oars (and working oarlocks) which work fine, but I wanted a
little easier maneuverability. I got the optional motor mount and put a 55#
thrust trolling motor on it I got on Craig’s list. I also installed a group
27 interstate marine battery. With the 3 of us in it, the trolling motor
moves us around great and just fast enough to feel like your going to get
where you’re going.

I made up a tow bridle for it and secured it to the starboard side so it
would interfere with the motor when we ran it, and tested it out over a 3
day period while anchored on a lake in GA. I made several trips to shore
every day running between half and full throttle, all on the same charge.

Later we took our R22 on a trip to Key West and spent 12 days sailing
around the islands and snorkeling on the reefs down there. We anchored
almost the entire time. I was able to keep the dinghy battery charged using
the 125 watt solar panel I installed on the boat. It was pretty awesome to
anchor off an island, load up the dinghy and go exploring. I’ve been using
this set up for 2 years now and it’s worked like a charm. One of the very
big pluses has turned out to be the rub rail and keel protection it has on
it. Grounding it on beaches and concrete boat ramps can be tough on an
inflatable hull. It’s a very durable little dinghy for the money.

I’ve attached a photo of the dinghy from the key west trip.

SV Emma B





On Sun, Mar 1, 2020 at 1:38 PM Jesse Shumaker <
jesse.laten.shumaker at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks to everyone who provided input on this thread.
>
> I'm hesitant to try beaching my R22 in unfamiliar waters.  A lot of the
> lakes that I'll be visiting have rocky shores.  I'd rather be cautious and
> use a dinghy instead.
>
> I'm planning on going with the inflatable kayak.   I'm leaning towards
> getting a tandem kayak and supplementing that with the inflatable paddle
> board that I already have in case I need room for 3 people.  Of course, 2
> trips to shore could ferry over 3 people.
>
> The advanced elements kayak that Mary Lou used looks quite nice but is more
> than I would like to spend.
> I'm debating between the Sea Eagle (either the 330 or 370) and the Driftsun
> Voyager 2.  The 370 is longer, with a bigger carrying capacity and could
> actually carry up to 3 people.  All these models get good reviews.  The Sea
> Eagle models are a little heavier and have inflatable seats, where the
> Voyager has solid seats.  The "deluxe seats" on the Sea Eagle sit a bit
> higher which might be more comfortable.
>
> The Driftsun is shorter and fairly flat so I may be able to store that
> upside down on the foredeck and cabintop if I wanted to leave it inflated
> and didn't want to tow it from the R22, though towing with a bridle
> attached
> to the two U bolts on the stern would probably be simplest.
>
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JHDN9M/
> <https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JHDN9M/>
> https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Eagle-Person-Inflatable-Sport/dp/B000SL0A6A/
> <https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Eagle-Person-Inflatable-Sport/dp/B000SL0A6A/>
>
> https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Eagle-SE370-Inflatable-Package/dp/B001ASRVDK/
> <https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Eagle-SE370-Inflatable-Package/dp/B001ASRVDK/>
>
>
> I haven't made a decision yet, but I'll be sure to report back on whatever
> I
> get once I use it this summer.  Any other words of wisdom are welcome.
> Thanks!
>
>
>
> --
> Sent from: http://rhodes-22.1065344.n5.nabble.com/
>
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